Some Fun in the New Year!

We started the first weekend of 2021 with SNOW--snow tubing to be exact.  After spending the Christmas holiday shuttered in away from family and friends, we decided snow tubing might be the exact remedy we needed to have a safe visit with friends!

I read through Ski Butternut's COVID policies and decided they were safe.  First, they reduce the capacity of snow tubers on the mountain by selling only a certain number of pre-ordered tickets.  Second, they require that masks be worn at all times (even when social distancing), and third, they had workers stationed in various areas, which made sure that everyone was following the rules.

In years past, we would all drive up to Great Barrington, MA in one car and go out to eat together.  This year we met up at the facility and brought homemade lunches to eat outside in the parking lot before hitting the "slopes."  I was afraid the new arrangement, including the wearing of masks, might make the activity less fun, but I couldn't be more wrong.  We had a blast, and even more, we could enjoy ourselves without the slightest worry of not being safe!  We could come home to my mom and not feel as if we would be putting her own health in jeopardy!

Here are just a few pics of our mask-wearing, snow tubing adventure.

To be honest, we had so much fun, we may go again in February or March.  The reduced capacity made it so that there were no long lines and no waiting.  Plus, the higher than average winter temperatures around here means that there's been no snow.  We have to have at least one more day of playing in the white stuff!!

Thankfully, as I'm writing this, my mom has her first vaccine shot scheduled for Sat., January 30th.  We can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel...  It's coming, but in the meantime, we'll enjoy safe activities like this one.  Of course, we can always try ski lessons--are we brave enough in 2021?  Probably not!